Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, measured in CO₂e, that a person, organisation, product, or event is responsible for, directly and indirectly, over a given period. It covers things like the energy you use at home, how you travel, what you eat, and what you buy.

Carbon footprint vs ecological footprint

These two are often confused. A carbon footprint measures only greenhouse gas emissions. An ecological footprint is broader: it measures the land and water needed to support your lifestyle and absorb your waste, of which greenhouse gas emissions are only one part.

Why it's hard to get to zero

Some emissions are easy to act on directly, like how you heat your home or get to work. Others are harder to control because they're built into the products and services you buy before you ever use them. That's why most approaches to lowering a carbon footprint focus on cutting what you can first, then funding verified projects, such as carbon credits, for what's left.

ClimateHero offers services for both businesses and individuals to calculate their carbon footprint.

• Calculate your business's carbon footprint
• Calculate your personal carbon footprint